Caged blossom
by Monochrome666
Summary: Life on Olympus was anything but dull for the daughter of harvest, Persephone. But when she starts to play a game with a stranger she meet only ten years ago, things start to go south. Who would have thought the blossom of spring would have been set free by none other than the being which could take her life away; this is how their lives became so abruptly entwined...
1. Prologue

**This is my first attempt at a 'romance' story - I promise I won't make it mushy :) I hope you like it!**

For all the times that I could recall, I had never once stepped out of line. My mother, Demeter, clung on to me as if in fear of losing her only daughter. I know that she loves me, but her love was like a noose tightening around my already raw neck. But what could I do about it? Yes, I am the goddess of spring to be exact. In Mount Olympus my life was just perfect to the point where it was beginning to get dull. I mean, what was I supposed to do besides attending extravagant parties and lying around with nymphs, creating daisy chains? There was one party though that I remember well. I was around seven at the time; it was just like any other party to get the Gods socialising. My mother loved parties, so made sure that both of us were wearing our greatest attire, consisting of a long azure robe with a silver belt and matching sandals. To top off, a brooch of platinum lilies clipped my hair up into a bun.

"You look absolutely adorable!" Mother exclaimed in glee, smothering me in kisses. I giggled with embarrassment while smelling Mother's perfume – a mixture of lemongrass and a hint of lime. Even if I complained about my Mother's clinginess, I still loved her more than anyone else.

Music played in the courtyard while platters of ambrosia were placed on dressed tables. My first move was for the food – I sometimes wondered whether my stomach was an empty abyss connected to a different dimension. Many Gods talked to me, but it was short and sweet. But as normal, my Uncle Poseidon and I talked considerably longer. He is really easy to talk to, but he did have the tendency to blether far too much. A little away from the group was a tall, slender man sitting quietly on a couch with a faraway look. Saying that he was handsome was by far the biggest understatement to say the least. He wasn't overly muscular but not skinny; he was toned in all the right places. His skin was as pale as a lily, his dark clothes intensifying that fact. The man's hair was the colour of ebony, in a high pony tail which slivered down his back. Of course, I left the best for last – his eyes. They were globes of sapphire, gazing at something which seemed to not be there. My gaze was broken when Aphrodite appeared by my side.

"Is something the matter Persephone?" she asked in concern at my stoic expression.

"I, um…" I mumbled as I felt my cheeks flushed scarlet. "No, I'm just fine thanks." She smiled beautifully before taking my hand and dragging me in the direction of the nymphs. To be honest, I just wanted to find the man again, but I smiled and played with the others. As one of the Gods struck into a performance, I darted quietly from the group and hurried to the clearing where he had been. When I reached there, I found Ares and the man talking contently about adult things. At the time I was completely oblivious to their chatter, concerning only with the mysterious God. I liked Ares, though he could be scary if you got on the wrong side with him. He noticed my presence.

"Hello my dear Persephone! Why are you away from the party?"

"I was bored, so I went for a walk." I answered quickly in defence. Ares chuckled deeply.

"As bad a liar as always I see."

"Not!" I retorted with a flush. The man stared quietly as if I was an exhibit; it started to unnerve me.

"Well, I better go back," Ares stated as he stood up, "Zeus needs some help with strategies; keep her company now~"

"But Ares…" the man's voice growled a wonderful note that nearly caused my body to melt. Before he could protest too profusely, the God of war had disappeared like a mirage, leaving me alone with the strange man. Silence commenced for a few minutes, causing me to nervously rub my hands together.

"So, who are your parents?" the strange man asked, giving me a piercing look.

"Um, Demeter's my mum, and Zeus is my Dad."

He seemed to visually stiffen, muttering a few incoherent words to himself. To break the unbearably tension, I sat on the ground and concentrated on making snow drops. I know they weren't the most spectacular of flowers, but they were my favourite.

"What are you doing, girl?" he asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Shh, I am trying to concentrate!" I hissed in annoyance as a few snow drops popped from the earth. Another few minutes passed and I finally made a small bunch of them, my breath a little ragged from the strain of using my power – I wasn't used to it yet. I grabbed the snowdrops, wrapped a piece of ribbon from my pocket around them and presented them to him.

"I made you some flowers Mister," I mumbled in nervousness, "I know it isn't much, but you can have them."

Slowly, the man took the bunch of flowers from my hand and looked at them stoically. It was like he had never been given a present before.

"Why did you give me these?" he gave me an odd look.

It surprised me that he didn't know what to do with flowers.

"Put them in a vase silly," I said before realising what I just called him, "They are a present for you."

"Why did you give me these?" he asked once again.

I shrugged with a little smile on my face, "Because I like you Mister."

The man continued to stare at the flowers before moving his gaze to me, a searching look passing through his face. Before I could say anything else, my Mother's voice could be heard from the party.

"Persephone, honey, where are you?"

My head swivelled round to just see my Mother's head bobbing in the crowd, worry plastered on her face. Sighing, I turned back to the God.

"Sorry Mister, but I have to go – Mum is calling me."

With that, I turned on my heel and sped up the hill, a bizarre feeling of curiosity echoing through by being. I would have definitely liked to talk with the man more.

I never even got the chance to ask his name.

* * *

If Ares could be any more annoying, I would not hesitate to throw him to Cerberus. I had been relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet, before that damn God of war sat down beside me.

"Hello Hades, how is my old friend doing down under?" he asked, a smile gracing that annoyingly handsome face.

"What do you want Ares, I am not in the mood to talk to you right now."

"Ouch, no need to be cold to an old friend."

"When were _we _ever friends?" I deadpanned with a side glance at him. "Do not make me ask again; what is it that you want?"

The fake smile dropped at that point, leaving the hard serious face that I always knew.

"Zeus has been having problems with the mortals again. They are rioting and deeming themselves more important than us; this is after one of them somehow got their hands on the power of fire. I had thought making a statement of torturing that man would have changed their minds, but it surprisingly hasn't."

"Oh? So this isn't about how Zeus cheating on Hera with even more mortal women?" I hissed with sarcasm. The almighty brother of mine was just a hormonal teenage boy with far too much power, and even less morals. How he had ever become King of the Gods was beyond my comprehension, but I didn't mind – the Underworld is definitely more interesting than Olympus; it also meant that I barely got disrupted by Gods. I had only gone to this party because my brother had practically begged me to come, which was not a pleasant sight. The reason was still to be questioned. But before I could ask, something seemed to catch Ares' attention.

"Hello my dear Persephone! Why are you away from the party?"

"I was bored so I went for a walk."

"A bad a liar as always I see."

"Not!"

My gaze turned to the high sweet voice that seemed to be talking to Ares. For a moment I was wondering who, until I looked a little down to see a small girl, not much older than seven, turning bright pink with embarrassment. I did not recall ever seeing her before, and I would have certainly remembered. She was small, with round freckled cheeks with a button nose, lip gloss shining from her tiny red lips. The girl wore modest clothes, but her hair had caught my eye. Unlike most of the blond bimbo Gods, she had fiery red hair, tied up in a small bun. I slowly began to realize that her hazelnut eyes were slowly looking over my face, puzzlement lightening her features.

"Well, I better go back," Ares stated as he stood up, "Zeus needs some help with strategies; keep her company now~"

"But Ares…" I growled in annoyance; was he going to make him babysit this brat for the entire party? Damn that War God!

An odd silence seemed to occur, making the girl obviously uncomfortable, which I noticed in the way that she was rubbing her hands. She somehow seemed familiar, so I found myself (for once) starting a conversation.

"So, who are your parents?"

The girl took a few minutes before answering my simple question.

"Um, Demeter's my mum, and Zeus is my Dad."

I could not help but stiffen. Not only was I babysitting a brat, but it was Zeus' brat? A few years back I had heard that Zeus had slept with another God, but he would never had thought it to be the sensible Demeter. Most likely she was pushed into a corner and forced to sleep with the bastard. Then again, Demeter had always wanted children, so she might have asked him. Poor kid – having a hormonal Father and a clingy Mother can't be a dream come true. Wait, when did I sympathise with Gods; their lives were fricken' perfect, unlike the mortals on earth, which I had the blasted enjoyment of judging every single day. I turned my attention back to the girl, to find her sitting on the ground, and concentrating on something.

"What are you doing, girl?" I asked flatly, with an odd sense of curiosity.

"Shh, I am trying to concentrate!" she hissed back.

Her comment seemed to annoy me to no end. When did a damn kid tell the God of the Underworld to be quiet? Most likely, she had no clue he was Hades; Demeter had never particularly liked him, so probably never told the child. The girl had seemed to have inherited the annoying habit of her father – bossing everyone around. Suddenly, I noticed small snow drops sprouting from the soil, one after another like pearly white fireworks. After a few more minutes, she plucked them from the soil, wrapped them up and presented the bunch in front of him.

"You can have the flowers Mister," she stated with a small smile, "I know it isn't much, but you can have them.

A few moments of awkward silence passed, before I realised that I had to take them. So I took them from her tiny fingers and held them with no bloody clue what to do with them. What did the God of the Underworld need flowers for?

"Why did you give me these?" I asked in wonder.

"Put them in a flower silly!" she giggled, "There a present from me to you."

I felt a vein begin to throb on my temple. The last time anyone had called me silly was thrown in Tartarus at least three thousand years ago. If she wasn't a girl or a young Goddess, I would have given her a piece of my mind.

"Why did you give me these?" I asked, hoping I would get a proper answer.

"Cause I like you Mister." She answered simply.

The answer had completely knocked me off guard. She had given me a present, because she liked me? But she didn't even know me, let alone fear me like the rest of those pathetic Gods. To be given a present was a first, and I had no clue what to say. Before I could say anything else, a familiar annoying voice could be heard.

"Persephone, honey, where are you?"

Great, it was Demeter.

"Sorry Mister, but I have to go – Mum is calling."

The girl left just like that, her small frame moving quickly up the hill, her body being engulfed by the crowd. Yet, her lovely smile never left my mind. She had me intrigued to say the least. I stood up and left, with my cloak draped around my shoulders. I brought the bouquet of flowers to my face and inhaled the sweet scent.


	2. A surprised meeting

Ten years had passed since I had last seen him, yet he never seemed to leave my mind for more than a couple of days. The mystery of not knowing his name or what he did seemed to make him more interesting.

'Persephone?' a nymph called Lyra inquired, her hand in mid flow while brushing my hair.

'…oh, sorry I got lost in thought.' I apologised for at least the third time today.

'You always do.' She muttered before continuing with my hair. My mind started to wander back to my little world, while I gazed around at the field of flowers I had made just two weeks ago. They were all in full bloom, and my Mother had been ecstatic at my work. She always told me not to work so hard, but it was far too much fun. I also loved to read books (much to my Mother's disapproval), and enjoyed learning a few fighting techniques from my Aunt Artemis. She taught me how to defend and distract an opponent, before making a quick escape. Aunt Artemis is an ideal woman; calm, collective, intelligent, funny, pretty and stands her ground.

The rest of the day passed with a flicker and before I knew it, I was walking back to my room after my delicious dinner. My body could not help but waver in the corridor as I eyed my Mother finally leaving to her chambers. Checking to see if anyone was around, I dashed outside to the gardens with my book in hand, at last being allowed some down time. The garden always looked lovely, with flowers popping out of every knock and cranny, the willow trees hunched over like old beggars and the birds chirping merrily between each other. I sighed happily before starting my new book, about pirates and the tale of the Sliver Swashbuckler ghost ship. My hand had only just turned the page before I heard my Father's merry laughter coming from across the garden; my peace and quiet had left the harbour for good. Suddenly, my eyes wavered on the man beside him, and my heart nearly stopped beating. It was the stranger from the party ten years ago, and he looked like he hadn't aged a day. He was as gorgeous as ever, wearing a black shirt with plain maroon trousers; yet he still looked stunning. It was most likely he wouldn't remember me; I was a child back then after all.

'Dear daughter, why are you out her at this time of day?' Father's voice boomed to my displeasure. To be perfectly honest, I never particularly liked him, but there was nothing I could do about it.

'Just reading in the fresh air Father, I'll go in soon.' I answered in a sickly sweet tone, to make him get off my case. Then I felt rather brave and asked, 'And who is the handsome stranger you have with you?'

For a second, a flicker of surprise flashed across his face, before he gave me a small smirk; a God damn hot smirk that rivalled the devil himself.

'Haven't we met before?' his velvety voice asked over my initial question. Father looked between us with a quizzical look. I felt like being a little sly, so fluttered my eyelashes with my hand on my hips, just like Aphrodite had told me to do. Honestly, I don't know why I am flirting with him, but it seemed like an interesting game to play; I didn't feel like being Miss Goody-two-shoes at the moment.

'Yes I suppose we did,' I acknowledged while a smile crept across my lips, 'but you never told me your name.'

'I suppose Demeter wouldn't want to,' Father said, completely oblivious to looks each of us were exchanging, 'He can tell you later though. Come on brother, we need to discuss things.'

A tidal wave of shock hit me. This man was his brother? They didn't even look or behave like each other; I didn't even know he had another brother! Why would Mother never tell me – I would have to ask later. As they passed by me, the man leaned into my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

'Until we meet again, Persephone.'

Before I could say a thing, they were gone, my head reeling with many questions. What had I just got myself into?!

* * *

To say that I was agitated was a complete understatement. The fates had somehow roped me into a meeting with my almighty bastard for a brother. Olympus was as bloody perfect as usual, and the sunlight was making his eyes water. My brother was walking with him, talking about trivial problems that I zoned out for more important thoughts.

After such a long time, I had meet Persephone, who had grown up such a beautiful woman that I had the inclination to rub my eyes and check again. She had taken after her Mother's facial features, and had none form Zeus ( .HEAVANS). Her hair was still as vibrant as ever, blazing like the roaring fire ready to burn everything down. My mind had nearly malfunctioned when she started to act coy, using her physical features to distract my collective thoughts. That had surprised me greatly, but that made me want her even more than before – so I played her game. And I wouldn't lose. After our first meeting, I had created a past time of watching her (I am not a stalker), as she played with nymphs and created many fields of flowers. Although, she expressed a feeling of boredom, trying to escape the clutches of her Mother to relax in peace, reading various books that she was able to snag from around Olympus, for Demeter looked down on the very idea of a woman reading – if she had it her way, she would have Persephone playing all day long, which was ridiculous in my opinion. I hadn't found a Goddess which had taken the time to read for simple pleasure; I preferred women with intelligence than a pea for a brain like Aphrodite.

'Hades, are you even listening to me?'

'Yes brother, I have heard every single word.' I lied through gritted teeth. Zeus nodded with approval, taking a glass of wine from the table and downing it in a one gulp. At that moment, I had a wonderful thought pop into my head, but I would have to ask Zeus for permission, which would sting my pride greatly.

'Zeus, may I ask you permission of something?' I asked in a calm tone, "It has crossed my mind quite a few times over the past few years."

'My brother is asking permission?! What has the world come to?' Zeus joked, 'You may ask whatever you like; you have never asked for anything before, and you are my brother.'

'May I court Persephone?' I asked while folding my arms in preparation for his response. His eyes widened a fraction, as if they were going to pop out any moment. Zeus' surprise nearly caused me, great God of the Underworld, to chuckle.

'Persephone? Well, that was definitely unexpected,' Zeus murmured in thought, 'I would gladly allow you to but...'

'But what Zeus?'

'You know how Demeter dislikes you with a burning passion,' moaned Zeus in frustration, 'she barely allows the girl to sit outside on her own. I have to decline your offer; I'm sorry dear brother.'

An icy chill vibrated through the room, making the King of Gods shudder. My temper problems were well known in Olympus, which made the Gods scurry around me as if I would smite them down at any minute. How dare Zeus refuse my request; what did he say, "You may ask whatever you like"? I choose to take the high road and not unleash my fury, and stood up before me insolent brother. His eyes wavered in fear; even if he was a brother, I would never hesitate to wring his scrawny neck.

'You will regret this moment, I'll promise you that.' I warned in a harsh tone, so low it was nearly a whisper. He visually froze (to my great pleasure) and with that, I left with a sly smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.

I would get what I desired if he gave permission or not.

Persephone would be mine in every way possible.

**What is Hades going to do - that is the question... Hope you liked the story so far and please R&R**


	3. Go underground

My eyes flickered open, my body tensing as I slowly started to get up. Red stray strands of hair fell in front of my face; I would need to brush it for sure. I slipped out of bed onto the wooden floor, which was cool to the touch. Last night had been strange, for I had a dream that I was floating across a river, with otters and fish swimming in circles round me, singing a song which I could not understand. Shaking my head to bring me back to reality, I slowly started to get dressed into a simple lilac robe and small boots, with my hair tied up in a messy braid that fell down to just above my waist. As quiet as a mouse, I unlocked the door and careful opened to the corridor outside. I quickly scanned the area for Mother, and quietly closed the door behind me, tiptoeing down the hallway to the kitchen. My stomach growled profusely until I ate breakfast, which consisted of a loaf of bread, a glass of wine and a small apple. When the savage beast called my stomach was restrained, I snatched my book and hurried out into the sunlight, where I also scanned the land for my clingy Mother. Trees swayed slowly in the breeze as cherry blossoms parachuted down to the forest floor, tickling my skin like feathers on their way down. Sunlight danced across the ground like splashes of gold, as I hurried to the field of flowers where I was before. The flowers sparked in the morning dew, like picturesque diamonds of unquestionable beauty. A few rays of sun kissed my skin as I sat down against the only tree in the entire field; an ancient willow, which hovered over my head, its branches swaying gently like reefs of coral. From above my head, I heard a strange sound, a meow that was filled with concern. A tiny kitten, not much larger than a ball, was perched on the branch only a few meters above me, its body crouched down and hunched, clearly frightened.

'How on earth did you get all the way up there?' I wondered out loud, placing my book down and standing up in wonder. 'Do you want some help?'

The cat answered with a cock of the head, its dark amber eyes piercing my temples with a look of puzzlement. With a shrug, I grabbed one of the branches, and reached towards the poor animal, stretching my fingertips as far as they could go. It nuzzled my palm and I quickly scooped up the cute feline and hugged it close, where I could clearly feel its purr.

Just as I was about to sit down again, a loud rumble shock the earth violently, sending all sorts of vibrations tingling my bones. From beneath the ground, a large chariot erupted from the earth, cascading the soil across the field with a tidal wave. My first reaction was pure bewilderment, but it slowly turned into curiosity and pure terror. On the glorious podium stood the mysterious God, giving me a look so cold it nearly froze me in place.

Dear Lord, what had I got myself into?

* * *

Her reaction to my entrance was laughable to be sure. An expression closely connected to astonishment was plastered across her face; something that I hadn't comprehended would have looked so beautiful on her features. My spy had done well; the cat I had sent was ordered to tell me the exact moment she would arrive, and would distract her in order to give me more time. Of course, my sweet Persephone took the bait, and tried to console the innocent cat, which was exactly what I knew she would do; her heart was as pure as silver, and I would always be tempted to taint it. What happened next made me even more surprised. She hopped to her feet, and darted as fast as she could, the kitten still clutched in her hands, with the ridiculous hope that she could escape. The ironic thing was, she had been tempting me only yesterday, so why was she running? Or was this her seduction game using hide and seek?

Well, I would play that game any day.

* * *

Why I had the inclination to run was beyond me, but it seemed the most logical thing to do – that guy meant bad business, and I had been a fool to try and tempt him. This was the result of my 'seduction' plan, and I wasn't going to play it any more Whoever he was, that God meant to do something awful to me, and I had to find a way back to Olympus, to find my Mother. Demeter would always give soothing words when I was distressed. Trees seemed to merge with each other, their hands long and sharp, clawing at my clothes as they were halting my escape. Taking out the small dagger at my hip, I tore the talons to pieces, and continued to run, not daring to look back. The kitten escaped my grasp and sprinted in the opposite direction, which made me slightly cross – so I had been tricked than by none other than a trickster of a kitty. I felt my legs begin to feel heavy, and I knew I had to rest for just a moment. Giving a quick glance behind, I slipped beneath the roots of an upturned tree, which shielded my figure from view. It felt like I was a deer, with many huntsman tracing my trail, and ready to pounce with their axes raised. If he found me, goodness knows what would happen…

My little lamb had evaded me somewhat, which perplexed me to no end. Only a few moments ago was she running straight in front, but now she was nowhere to be seen. Persephone was not in the canopy for sure, and below the ground was preposterous, so where had she gone? Taking a small breath, I closed my eyes and concentrated on hearing for any sound, and I found it only in a few seconds. A heartbeat on steroids could be heard, thundering only a few feet away from me; I was the God of Death, so I had a knack of differentiating from the living and the dead. As my boots slid closer to an upturned tree, the beats quickly amplified to a crescendo, on the verge on bursting from cardiac arrest. A sly smile tweaked my lips and with a swoop, I lowered my head to the roots, and to my delight found my little lamb, with eyes filled with thrilling fright.

'Found you Persephone.'

* * *

When his body hovered into view my whole body screamed to run. Every muscle was on lockdown and my brain could not function properly. My breathing became erratic, while my heart thundered loudly in my ears. I watched as he started to hover closer and closer to my hiding place, my thoughts consisting of dire prayers that he would not find me. A moment of silence appeared, and I truly believed that he had disappeared. Until his head hovered above mine, his dark calculating eyes gazing unblinking like a hawk.

'Found you Persephone.' His velvety voice stated, with a tinge of amusement hidden in his words.

Oh no

Automatically, my foot connected with his jaw, giving me only a few moments to run like hell. I rushed out from my hiding spot, but a strong grip tightened round my wrist, and pulled me back to him. The God's glare pierced my being and nearly forced my legs to buckle. A trickle of blood flowed from his nose, which stained his pale porcelain skin.

'That wasn't nice, my little lamb.' He hissed aggressively, pulling me closer to connect with his gaze. Before I knew it, my vision blacked out and I felt the ground grumble before me.

Muttering a quick spell, I found Persephone in my arms, fast asleep like nothing had happened at all. Her act of violence shocked me, and agitation was as clear as glass. Persephone had shown a side I had never seen, but was excited to see more; just, not resulting in the use of spells. Sighing, I lifted her body bridal style and walked back to my awaiting chariot. Her body was so small and fragile, like a doll that could break any minute. Warm skin met my own, and I could not help but hold her even tighter. For so many years, I had not received any contact with a living species, and it felt somewhat reassuring. The horses drove back into the ground, while Persephone still lay contently in my arms, her being like a ray of sunshine to me. I barely knew her, but I could not help but love her already, and it wasn't just a feeling of lust. I hoped that she could feel the same.

**Ohhhh! The tension is building - wonder what happens next? XD Continue on, and please R&R!**


	4. Appearance in an unknown place

The first image that hovered into my view was a cream ceiling, which seemed odd since I knew my bedroom's ceiling was blue… Horror struck my heart, causing me to quickly stand up, only resulting with my vision nearly blacking out and my head to face plant the floor. This was not my room; I recalled all the events prior to this moment, and the blood in my veins seemed to freeze to -33 degrees. I had been kidnapped by some drop dead gorgeous maniac that chased me, did some sort of magic, and whisked me to God knows where. Oh how bloody brilliant. Woe filled my soul, leaving my body to crumple to the floor with tears pricking my eyes. It was my entire fault I got into this mess; if I hadn't tried to use seduction (which stupid Aphrodite taught me), I would have never ended up this this mess. Mother wouldn't be worried and I would be in my bed, waking up to the exhilarating feeling of the gentle caresses of morning sunlight. Here there was no sun – no heat, no flowers, no happiness. Nothing _lived_ in this place (or so it seemed at the moment). Loud footsteps could be heard down the hallway, which sent my heart on an erratic tempo. Grabbing the nearest object I could find, which was a glass of water, and poised my hand, ready for the imminent attack. The knob painfully opened and, in all his devilish charms, stood the God that kidnapped me. He showed an expression of puzzlement, before I couldn't help but release the glass at full throttle, shattering against his temple, drenching his face in water and trickles of blood. Anger was clearly seen on his face and I knew that I was in for a lot of hell.

'Glad to see you're up, _Persephone.'_ He stated, with a growling pronunciation of my name, which sent pleasurable shivers down my spine. Wait, why did I find that a good thing?

'Nice to see you too – _not_.' I answered but sarcastically, huffing loudly and crossing my arms. 'So, why did you take me here against my will; and I want to know your name.'

He gave me an odd look before proceeding.

'My name is none of your concern. To answer your other question, I took you here because I wanted to.'

I felt my eye begin to twitch in agitation; all he had done was side-stepped the question.

'That didn't answer my question – WHAT is your name, and WHY am I here.'

'There is no need to answer such a silly question again; I have already answered.'

I wanted to wring this guy's neck, but I started to notice that I _really _did injure him before. Quite a bit of blood was trickling down his forehead, yet he held such a stoic expression. Getting to my feet, I quickly grabbed a towel from the dresser and walked towards him, noticing the moment of surprise flicker through his eyes. Getting on my tip toes, I started to dab at his wound, surprised that he was already starting to heal.

'I should be mad at you,' I warned with a little agitation, 'but I didn't mean to make you get this injured. You don't seem cruel, and you haven't tried anything yet.'

'It's not the first injury you've implicated.' He muttered, earning a glare from me. 'Also, don't make me sound like a defenceless deer; I am a God, not a man. I can heal from wounds easily.'

This time I just chucked the towel down in frustration; God, I was trying to be considerate of this guy, and all he did was throw insults in return.

'Why don't you at least try to be nice to me? I should be screaming and begging to see my Mother, but I have tried to stay calm.' I shouted at him, with tears starting to stream at this point, 'but _no_, you have to stand there and ridicule me – don't you think this is hard enough for me, you-you-you, bastard, you kidnapper, you heartless fiend! Go back to the hell pit from whence you came, and LEAVE ME ALONE!'

With that, I stormed out of the room, my anger boiling and with no clue where I was going. Just anywhere away from that jerk.

* * *

I stared at the towel, all sorts of thoughts flying through my head. Everything about her was completely unpredictable - one moment she throws a glass in an act of frustration, then tries to repent by cleaning my wound and finally stamps out of the room in tears. Her insults had struck a chord deep within him, but his mask was still set on passive. To show emotion was a sign of weakness – he had learned that long ago. With a turn of his heel, he walked out of the room, deciding that the best thing to do was let the girl have some alone time. And maybe then, would she be inclined to be a little more cooperative.

* * *

Due to anger clouding my mind, I had found myself completely lost in an unknown place in an area away from any civilisation. Where was this place anyway? And who was that jerk of a God? Stopping beside an archway, I turned around to see if there was anyone following me. To my pleasure there was no one, yet I couldn't help but sense the feeling of being watched. Great, if I stay any longer, I'll start seeing paraphernalia, I thought with a sigh. When I turned back, I came face to face with a ghost, suspended upside down and staring intensely. I don't know how I didn't collapse on the spot, or scream and run for cover; I just stood there ridged.

'It isn't p-p-polite to stare.' I quivered, trying to act tough. The ghost chuckled before leaping from the wall and landing elegantly on the ground. He was at least a head shorter than me, a long silver beard tied like a belt around his waist. A smile creased his cheeks, a few incisors and one canine missing. Though his eyes seemed young, like a cheeky child ready to play a prank.

'I meant no harm my dear,' his unusually high voice replied, 'I presume you are the master's bride?'

My face felt drained, and there was a few seconds where I just stood there in surprised silence – or more like horror.

'WHO'S BLOODY BRIDE!?' I swore so loud that even the ghost winced at the volume.

'Calm down my dear, it was just a simple question of curiosity. Now keep your voice down, or you might bring him right here.'

At that, my mouth slammed shut with embarrassment; I hadn't meant to shout, but I couldn't contain my horror and fury. First he kidnaps me, now he wants to marry me, even when I don't know him? What kind of sadistic God does that - probably because he has an ego the size of Saturn?

To be polite, I asked for his name. He grinned in glee for a change in subject.

'My name is Magnus Flavius; I was a scholar from Alexandria, but died before I could succeed in my work. So, the master allowed me to read from the library, if I recorded all the income in the Underworld.'

'Wait, this is the Underworld?'

'Why yes my dear; Hades is the ruler of the Underworld. Where else did you think this place was…?'

For some reason, my eyes started to water, much to the Magnus' distress. The tears from eyes just wouldn't cease, even if I tried, like a roaring river after breaking a dam. There was no way out of this place; I would never see my Mother again or the light, and I was to be made a bride to the God of the dead, who could strike me down at any moment. What was a Goddess of Spring able to do in this situation? Absolutely nothing at all…

* * *

I was striding down the passageway, wondering where the hell Persephone had gone. My patience had worn thin, and the idea of giving her alone time was out of the window; she had just been plain childish since the moment she found out her game of seduction had gone south, and I was going to fix that. Rounding the corner, I saw Persephone with the scholar, and I was pondering what she was doing, before I noticed that tears were streaming from her eyes, while the ghost tried to comfort her. I slipped back round the corner out of sight, and watched them as rage boiled like the pits of hell in my stomach. If that ghost had done something wrong to Persephone, I swear I'd…

'What is wrong my dear?' the ghost asked in a sympathetic tone, concern creased on his ancient face.

'What do YOU think is wrong?!' Persephone sniffed sarcastically, 'I am stuck in this hovel with no way to see my mother, being forced to marry the God of the dead against my will, and I probably won't see the light again. I just want to go home…'

With that, she turned on her heel and charged down the corridor, leaving the ghost beckoning behind her. My heart felt like an elastic band, which was being twisted and pulled to the extreme. I hadn't thought she was _that _miserable; this palace was comfortable and she had everything she didn't have back on the surface. She had hated her mother, yet when she had finally got her wish, she wanted to see her again. I wasn't forcing her to marry me, so why did she have the absurd idea that she was? Yes, I wanted to marry her eventually, but I preferred to give people a choice rather than being a tyrant. Women, I thought with a scowl, were very confusing beings. Finally, I turned the corner, to the surprised face of my accountant.

'Good afternoon Master.' The ghost said with a low bow. My face stayed indifferent and decided to jump straight to the point.

'Where is Persephone?'

The ancient man raised an eyebrow – guess he wasn't inspecting such an inquiry so soon.

'I do not have the foggiest idea Master; she left in a hurry.'

'Why?'

That made the man tense up; he didn't want to be the individual to tell me the bad news, for he probably presumed that I would go into a full blown rage.

'She was upset from being separated from her mother,' he explained, diverting his gaze warily, 'The young lady believes that you intend to force marriage upon her.'

This made me rather surprised. He had side-stepped the question, yet had told the truth, even if it was only vaguely. I nodded in acknowledgement and left, feeling that it was about time I set that girl straight, yet I would have to be careful. She was fragile, like a china doll, so explaining the reason would have to be down with the utmost care.

* * *

Tears had finally ceased, but my eyes looked puffy in the mirror down one of the various corridors connected around the castle. I looked pretty awful, which expressed exactly the way I felt. To be honest, I felt childish about running away from the nice gentleman, but I just didn't want more people to see that I was weak. The hall continued on, with various doors on each side. How did anyone find their way around this place without getting lost at least three hundred times? I heard footsteps coming down the passage way, and my mind went into a blind panic. Tugging at the door, I slipped into the room and shut the door as quietly as possible. My breath was completely taken away by what was before me. Plants of all origins sprouted from elegant pots in rows, the sweet aromas hitting my face caused my heart to escalate to another level. Such a variety of colour overpowered my vision; it was so beautiful. Nothing like this existed in Olympus, even if I tried profoundly for days on end. My fingertips brushed the petals, which tickled from their fuzzy hairs. A bunch of white roses caught my vision, and I nearly squealed in delight; they were my favourite flowers. Even though people thought they were plain, and mother always said they were 'drained of colour', I thought they were pure and elegant, shining the brightest out of all others. I lifted a flower to my face, the rose petals caressing my skin and smelling so fresh and yet small so divine.

'Glad to see that the garden is to your satisfaction.'

I nearly fell over in fright, and turned startled to see my captor, leaning against the wall with eyes like a hawk. His face was as stoic as ever, and his façade never seemed to falter, displaying no glimpse of happiness or anger. I found that he was far taller than I was which just intimidated me even more.

'Yes, it is lovely.' I murmured, not quite sure what to say in a situation so awkward. He nodded in response, before to my alarm, moving towards the other row of flowers, just a metre away from me. I concentrated to keep my muscles from displaying any thought of terror, but I failed miserably. His being just set far too many alarm bells inside my head. Yet my curiosity was piqued by this God, and somehow I ended up wanting to talk to him.

'So you're the God of the Underworld?'

He swivelled his eyes to the right, gazing in complete silence, trying to understand my motives.

'So what if I am?'

'How long have you ruled this place?' I continued to ask.

'I'll leave that to your imagination.'

'Why am I here?'

'…because I decided you to be.'

A vein on my temple was starting to throb; why couldn't this guy just give a simple straightforward answer?

'How is it that these plants exist here?'

'They just do, Miss Persephone.'

'FOR GOD DAMN BLOODY SAKE, AT LEST TRY TO ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION!' I yelled in frustration, before realizing who I was talking to – damn my red hair, I bet it is the reason I have anger issues. The God blinked in surprise at my outburst, before chuckling darkly, in such a seductive way it caused me to blush profoundly. Why wasn't he mad – and was he actually laughing?

'My, my, what I colourful language you use – such a temper,' he stated as he leaned towards my face, 'quite unbecoming of a young lady. You are as fiery as your hair Miss Persephone – and your face is too.'

I swear he smirked at that comment, causing my face to turn into a darker shade of vermilion Why the hell was my body like this? Damn my teenage hormones to the fiery pits of hell! Then, a devious thought flickered through my mind.

'Well Sir,' I said with a playful glance, 'play with fire and you might get burned.'

With that, I darted out of the room, glad that my comment had been just enough of a distraction to allow me to escape his clutches.

* * *

I was surprised at her display of aggression, using such a vulgar use of language that he was rather taken aback. Persephone's embarrassment – well, that had been rather satisfactory. Was she bipolar or something? One moment she cries, next she screams blue murder than tries to play with my mind – a cryptic puzzle to say the least. Her comment had made my heart jolt, for it was a coy side I had last seen on Olympus. It was most likely to distract me, but she had said it all the same. Well Persephone, I thought with a smirk, I can tame even the most furious fires of hell – you shall be an interesting challenge.

**Sorry for Persephone's colourful language, but I thought it would be rather amusing to give her a temperamental personality rather than being a winy little girl XD Hope you guys are liking the story. Please R&R!**


	5. Meeting the staff

**I am so terribly sorry that I haven't added any chapters recently; I have been rather busy. **

**It is so great to have people reviewing my work, thanks to:-**

**_Athena of the Greeks -_****I am so glad that you like the story :D Thank you for your review (you are such a nice person!), and the next chapter is here **

**_svugirl6517 - _I am happy you like Persephone too - I am so sick of female protagonists not having a back bone, and I promise that she will stay this way XD  
**

**_Madame thome_ - You literally analyse my work, which is nice for a change :) . Indeed, romance is interesting (besides the mushy stuff like twilight) and I hope you like how the story will progress.**

**Thank you to these wonderful people above 3**

**Here is the next chapter people!**

Many a time had I wanted to kill someone, but he had already reached the top of my list. God, the man was insufferable (let alone handsome – hell would have to freeze over before I would ever tell him that). I had narrowly escaped, but for how long I could not tell, for all I wanted to do was escape from this hell hole and never meet him again. My feet came to a stop when I started to really think things over. This place was actually very beautiful, and I guess he wasn't demanding much…but that didn't give him the right to lock me down here like a canary bird.

From out of nowhere, I could smell a wonderful aroma wafting down the corridor, hovering beneath my nose like a trickster, taunting me to follow the trail to the source of the delicious smells. Well, I had been tricked before, but what the hell; my curiosity always took over my common sense.

The smells lead me to a small door, which I opened to the chaos of numerous people slipping and sliding around each other, with various dishes and pans. It was a large kitchen, yet it seemed cramped compared to the space actually needed. I took a nearby seat near a small table, where I observed them with mild awe. They seemed to dance in unison, all following each other like a flowing river, shouting loudly to each other over the calamity of everyone else. My mind had been wondering around so much that I hadn't realised that the cooks had halted, giving each other queer looks as they glanced at the newcomer. One cook finally had the guts to ask what everyone was thinking.

'My, my who may you be? It is not every day that we get such a pretty lady observing our work.'

My face had reddened from the compliment and I didn't have the faintest idea what to say. He looked like the stereotypical chef out of an Italian fairy tale. His moustache stuck out so far that you could simply not see his mouth, so when he spoke, all that you could see was a quiver of the bushy hair. He was a small stout man, wearing the usual cook attire yet had bizarrely large clown feet.

'I di-di-didn't mean to interrupt your wo-'

Before I could finish my apology, the scholar ghost appeared from the ceiling, with a relieved expression clear on his ancient face.

'There you are Persephone, I have been looking all over for you!' he exclaimed as he landed on his feet, 'You scared this poor man out of his mind. I am glad you aren't upset any… uh…'

The ghost had finally seen the shocked faces of the cooks, as I had my head in my hand. Here I had been thinking that my life couldn't get any more complicated; well blast that idea into the stratosphere.

'You are the master's bride?' whispered the same cook with wonder, 'I am not surprised that you are beautiful, but you are rather young.'

'That is a touchy subject.' Magnus whispered, but the damage was done. My blood was boiling.

'I AM NOT BEING THAT MANIAC'S BLOODY BRIDE!' I yelled in pure rage,

Everyone had jumped at my outburst, so I quieted down, breathing erratically as my rage slowly defused – God I needed anger management classes.

'Sorry…' I mumbled in embarrassment.

What they said next surprised me greatly.

'I don't blame you; Master took you away from your mother!' one server stated in anger.

'Master also tricked her.' Added another assistant

'Then Master expects her to marry him – it is not the proper manner of proposing to a girl!'

They all started to quarrel between each other, complaining about all sorts of things before the first cook yelled for them to stop.

'Hush people! If Master heard you moaning and groaning, what would you expect to happen?'

'Oh hush Pedro,' whined one of the other cooks, 'even if he is our master, he isn't what you would call the friendliest chap; just look at the girl, she at least has the guts to speak her mind against him, rather than just submitting to his looks and his stoic charms.'

Yet again another argument commenced, leaving the others to spectate as the statements were thrown at each other like one does with a dart board. I could not help but laugh; they seemed to be lovely people with (thank goodness) a similar opinion of their owner. It was comforting to know that I wasn't going to be alone, in the sense that I would be able to relate to someone of a similar mind.

'Hey, why don't you tell us about yourself Mistress?' asked a petite girl with pigtails.

'Sure, but please call me Persephone; formality doesn't really float my boat.' I stated, but the girl frowned.

'Even if we wanted to comply with your request,' interjected the tiny girl, 'if our Master heard such dialect, he would have us as food for the sirens in the eastern lakes.'

'Oh, well I can understand. Wait, there are lakes here?'

We all started to talk, as they explained about the various parts within the Underworld; who could have thought that this place would be so massive? I discussed elements about myself, my heart sagging as I described the times with my dear mother, who would probably be rather worried by this point. Wait, let me re-phrase that – let's just say my foul temper didn't just come from out of the blue.

* * *

'What do you mean she is gone?!' erupted Demeter in outrage and fear, the nymphs quivering under her rage.

'When she didn't appear, we s-searched for Miss Persephone until…well…' stuttered Lyra, the nymph who usually brushed her daughters hair and entangled it with many daises.

'Speak nymph or you shall lose your ability to talk and sing your silly melodies!' Demeter warned with a hiss. They were standing at her temple, where she usually waited to meet her beloved daughter in the morning to send her off on her tasks for the day, but she had not arrived much to her dismay.

'We saw a tall man, holding our dear Miss Persephone, when he somehow ploughed beneath the earth and v-v-vanished.'

The story startled Demeter, for it sounded rather fanciful, but she did not believe that it could possibly be a lie, for the nymphs seemed terrified for their lives. But who was the mysterious rider?

'Who was this man?' she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

The nymphs looked at each other with fearful looks before proceeding with an answer.

'We believe that it was a God Mistress; the God of the Underworld.'

Time halted for a second before the statement hit her like a tidal wave. What would Hades possibly want with Persephone, unless he wanted to...?

Horror filled her heart and soul, clouding all sense of judgement whatever he was going to do, it wasn't going to be good. Without a second thought, she charged down the steps, leaving her deathly aura waving behind her like a warning signal. The nymphs fled before anything more dangerous could occur. Demeter was going to get her daughter back, and that God of Death was going to get a right piece of her mind, while cursing the day that he had dared to challenge her.

**Clear example why you don't aggravate mother nature XD Hades has it in for himself - how will the confrontation be like? Stay tuned for the next chapter and please R&R!**


	6. Nature confronts Death

**Here is the next chapter of this Greek tale; hope you enjoy! :)**

My mind was blank as I stared at the pile of papers that needed to be done, but I could not bring myself to do it. The study was filled to the top with work yet my work ethic just wasn't up for doing anything at all. Persephone was the only image that kept cropping up into my head, to the point where I really thought I was going insane; then again I have to say I am amazed I haven't yet, after all these years stuck underground.

The fire continued to crackle in the hearth, each flame dancing ferociously as it licked away at the crumbling logs. Sighing, I stood up to stretch, only to hear a knocking sound against my oak door. I ushered the person in, to find that it was the boatman of the River Styx Charon, a large skeletal yet powerful man. Each breath he took sounded like a gagging fish, which displayed his age – he had been with me since I was a child, which I can tell you is a very long time ago, although Charon still did not want to retire.

'What brings you here away from your work Charon?' I asked in wonder, sitting back down in my armchair.

'There is a disturbance near the Gate Master; someone has passed through to the Underworld without permission, for they are still living.'

'How could you let them pass?' I hissed in anger, 'That is against our agreement – I thought you had learned this last time when Hercules had the guts to come down to my realm.'

'I ask for your pardon Master. This person is a God, and if I remember correctly, I am not allowed to stop a God.' Charon challenged with a mischievous look – he might be my servant, but that never stopped him from pushing his limits.

My mind was pondering upon who it could be; Ares, it was highly unlikely for that God to dare. Zeus, more likely he would send a messenger down here. Demeter…

'Who is this God?' I asked, fearing that my suspicions might be correct.

'The Goddess of Harvest Master, and let me be rather frank that she is in a...' he wheezed for a moment, '...unpleased mood with the departing with which Mistress Persephone has done to your domain. Why would she be though, for Mistress would have asked permission of her dear Mother before leaving Olympus, wouldn't she Master?'

I wanted to throw this man to Cerberus sometimes, for the way he looked and said the statement to me, clearly showed that he knew full well that Persephone had been forcefully taken without her Mother's consent. For my patience with Zeus upon the matter had worn off entirely.

The problem at this moment was how to deal with Demeter so that she:-

Didn't know that her daughter was here

Didn't suspect her daughter's disappearance was linked to him (unlikely)

Didn't blow his head off with her fiery temper (also highly unlikely)

For you see, Demeter had always had a foul temper, and clearly this had been passed to her daughter, for the mood swings with which the girl endured was severe to say the least.

'Where is Demeter now?' I finally asked.

'At the gate Master, as I said so at the beginning.'

I glowered towards Charon at his concealed amusement – trust him to remind the God of the Underworld for his forgetfulness.

Without a word, I stepped out of the room, with my servant in tow, mentally preparing myself for the temper of Mother Nature herself.

* * *

Her impatience was starting to get to her, as she paced at the Gate of the Underworld, with the three headed dog called Cerberus watching her with foul contempt. Sure, all animals were supposed to love her, but this dribbling mutt would never let its guard down except around its Master, where the mangy dog acted like a three month old puppy.

The main worry for the Goddess of Harvest and primary goal was her daughter. Poor girl was probably terrified for her life, and that blasted God of Death would be doing heaven-knows-what with her sweet Persephone; she would never let that happen, and she wasn't going to believe what sort of lies Hades was going to conjure, like a spider does with its web before ensnaring its prey with poisoned pincers.

An aura hit her being, and she knew that he was behind her, and she spun round to face the dark deity. He did not look pleased, but expressed no other secrets beneath his facial expressions. Cerberus whined and sat down, clearly desiring his Master's attention, but not receiving it today.

'What brings you down here Demeter?' his sharp displeased tone slicing the air, 'I have no business with the living unless it affects the dead.'

'Or my daughter you mean?' she hissed, trying with all her might to get a reaction, 'I know you have her Hades and I want my Persephone back; the nymphs told me that they saw you, with my daughter in your hands, drive beneath the earth into your realm.'

'Now you believe in what bimbo nymphs tell you? You have greatly fallen since the last time we met.'

'Where is she Hades; stop side stepping the subject!' she stated, the earth slowly cracking beneath her rage. The God of Death seemed unfazed.

'I don't have the faintest idea where she is Demeter,' he answered bluntly, 'and for one moment do you think that she might have run away from your suffocating embrace?'

His comment stopped her temper rising, and sliced her poor heart in two. Persephone would never run away from home; she might be a little over protective sometimes, but that was only because she cared for her safety. No, Hades was just toying with pleasure to see if she would crumble, but not today and not in front of him.

'Stop lying, for I know she is here and by God if I find that you kidnapped her, you will regret the moment you _ever _took someone precious from me, Hades.' She vowed, spitting his name as if it were bitter with the sin of all human kind.

A faint smirk appeared on his face – he was utterly clam at her threat.

'Say what you wish, but she is not here. I can tell you that she is alive, for her spirit would have come here.' Hades stated, his eyes staring directly into the bleeding heart of a Mother who had misplaced her babe.

Demeter felt a little hope come into her battered being at the information, but only briefly as he turned on his heels, and left her alone, with a broken heart and an even more broken soul.

**Poor Demeter, she may have an over protective personality, but the woman means well. What is she going to do to get her daughter back, and what is Persephone up to back at the castle? Stay tuned for the next chapter and please R&R!**


	7. The glories of literature

**Here is the next chapter for you guys! Hope you like it**

I awoke with a tranquil mind, convincing myself that I had jobs to do in the fields for my mother, and the pesky nymphs would want to play and sing silly songs…

Then the nasty truth set in again; I wasn't at home, but in the Underworld, devoid from all living life forms par Cooks, cleaners, myself and the King of this realm, but I really cannot tell if he can be considered 'alive'. No clear emotions appeared upon his porcelain skin, barely a crack in his flawless mask. But there had been bizarre moments where he had smiled (well, probably better put as smirked), and scary times where I thought he would smite me dead.

What was his purpose in keeping me here? That question had been mulling in my mind for a considerable amount of time. There were many other Goddesses more suitable for him; Athena was an intelligent woman, Artemis was an excellent hunter and Aphrodite…well, I think she would drive him crazy with her flamboyant exclamations of love.

I finally urged my body from the bed, creaking like an old rocking chair, my mind sluggish and not quite functioning. Slowly, I trudged across to the wardrobe and opened it (for the first time) to find a suitable set of clothes to wear. What appeared before my eyes nearly caused my jaw to hit the floor.

A dazzling array of beautiful dresses hung in two long lines, each made of exquisite material and all far too fancy for me to wear, but I couldn't just walk around the castle in my dressing gown, or I would be in imminent danger if the God of the Underworld found out. My eyes caught a simple lilac dress with a thin grey belt around the hips; finally, a dress that looked vaguely casual. But even then, when I picked the dress from the hanger, I found the material to be a soft as velvet, caressing my skin with feathery kisses.

After ten minutes, I left my room in search of food. My stomach seemed to be the commander at the moment, forcing me to dart quickly through the castle to reach the kitchen, while keeping an eye out for the Death Deity. Upon entering the kitchen, my face was smacked with the beautiful aromas of baking bread, fruit and sugary goodness. Who could have thought that Death would demand such high quality food?

The main chef (from last night), spotted my appearance and bounced across the kitchen with flushed cheeks with a merry smile.

'I see Mistress has finally woken! It is late morning, but we have food ready for you.' He ushered me over to the small table again, before placing many plates of fantastic food in front of me. There were sweetened dates, round pecan pies, boiled eggs, fresh bread and many more selections of food – the staff can really cook. If I had my way, I would have married an Italian chef long before now.

Many minutes passed before I finally finished all the food, much to their astonishment. I may be small, but that didn't mean I couldn't eat. I thanked them graciously before slipping out of the door to get out of their hair and on with their duties.

Each corridor looked basically the same, much to my distress. I'd memorized the route to the kitchen, but everywhere else was a complete mystery – but not for much longer. I walked down various hallways and stairs, my eyes snagged by the excellent architecture, along with breath taking paintings and sculptures. When eyes returned from looking around, Magnus popped in front of me, causing my heart to nearly rupture out of my chest.

'Can't you say hello like any other normal being?' I asked, scowling at his cheeky grin. He may be an old man, but he was a child at heart.

'My sincerest apologises Mistress,' Magnus said with a bow, 'It wasn't my intention to startle you.'

'Of course not…' I muttered sarcastically out of ear shot.

To change the subject, I asked of what areas were interesting within the palace.

'Many my lady; there are the gardens, music room, dancing room, library…'

'Wait library?' I interrupted, my interest peeked.

'Yes, would you like me to show you?'

I nodded enthusiastically, much to his satisfaction. Leading the way, Magnus took so many turns that my mind was boggled. Finally (after what felt like half an hour), we reached solid Oak doors, which opened surprisingly easily. The spectacle before me was staggering – there were rows after rows of all sorts of books, ranging from diaries to documents, adventure to romantic, fiction as well as non-fiction.

'Am I allowed to have a look?' I asked with puppy eyes, like child begging their mother to enter a sweet shop. He nodded, and nearly toppled over as I exclaimed and darted through the room, my heart literally leaping for joy. Never had I been this ecstatic for a long time, as if the days with my mother were times of the far past...

Mother...

My smile dropped like a sledgehammer, much to Magnus' surprise. All of the bountiful bundles of joy had flickered away, as if someone had simply crushed my heart as if it were glass. I know there is nothing I can do about my situation, so why did I suddenly have to be miserable?

The smile returned to my face and I scrolled through the shelves, a faint musty smell surprisingly soothing my mind.

'Would you like me to leave you to yourself, Mistress?' asked Magnus, his eyes trying to understand my quick mood changes.

'Yes please, I'll probably be here for a while.'

With a bow, the scholar ghost exited the room while I searched along the rows, a feeling of tranquillity washing over my mind. Books always had this effect on me; if I was ever stressed, angered or sad I would go and find a book to read. Sadly my mother did not find it suitable for a young girl to constantly have her head in a book. She believed that I was supposed to be socialising and flirt with men.

I miss her terribly, I thought with a sigh. But I was sure that I would see her soon. Or at least hoped...


	8. Damsels in distress? No way!

**Another chapter, which is connected straight from the chapter before - enjoy!**

Pacing down the corridor, I was pensive, deep in thought. It had been a few days since the arrival of Persephone, and Zeus had yet to take action – why? Demeter evidently wanted her daughter back yet there had been no sign of inspection from my pathetic excuse for a brother. Interesting indeed, I thought before hearing a loud squeal from down the hall. My eyebrow slightly arched a little from puzzlement before I walked down to the Library, still hearing the sound of someone who was clearly happy.

Before I could even open the door, the scholar ghost appeared again to my left, obviously cheery about something.

'Who is in the Library?' I inquired.

'Lady Persephone Master,' he answered before disappearing without a word. I have to teach my servants more manners; I still had still questions to ask, and yet the servant had left with barely a bow. Maybe they had been watching Charon's attitude towards me and started to believe that _they_ could all act the same.

Anyway, my curiosity was definitely being toyed with; why would Persephone be shrieking to herself?

Taking a deep breath, I opened the doors to find a rather wonderful sight. The Goddess of Spring was charging around the library as if she was being chased by an animal, except she looked so joyous. To my happiness, she was wearing one of the dresses I had ordered for her – it was simple, but elegant. Just like her. Fire seemed to dance as she hurried over to another shelf, while a pile of books (probably made by her) were on the round table to the far left.

Her hands drifted over a book on the shelf before sliding the leather bound book from its dusty bed, with a smile that could melt the coldest ice demon. She finally spotted me and a look of horror appeared upon her face. It took all my will power _not _to laugh.

'I see you like the Library.' I stated, watching as her hands tightened around the book.

'Yes, it is lovely.' She said, her voice very quiet, as if she were a rabbit being watched by a skilled fox. Silence occurred for a few moments, before she suddenly blurted out; 'Do you know where the horror section is?'

The question had caught me a little of guard. A faint blush was starting to creep upon her face – it suited her well, but her question was...different to say the least.

'The third book case on the right.'

She nodded, before quickly scurrying over to the bookcase, her face brimming with joy.

'You like horror?' I asked, surprised at her interesting choice of genre. A lady shouldn't be reading that sort of book, I thought, but then again, Persephone was not your average Goddess, that I was positive about.

'Yes I do! The mystery and thrill of reading it is wonderful. The writing puts you on the edge, making you paranoid about how the characters will get out of their sticky situations. Gore is good to a certain extent, but too much can tail away from the story line...' she continued to talk, very content with sharing her opinion. All I could do was stare, watch as she was so merry with this very moment. Yes, she was quirky, with rather puzzling mood swings, dangerous temper problems, an enthusiastic bookworm and a lover of horror, but that was what made her so unique, beautiful and intriguing.

Persephone was still talking as she stepped up the ladder to reach another book, chatting away about the annoying problems with romance fiction.

'...the main female protagonist is always in trouble, whether she is so in love with two guys, or her best friend is turning on her. It is completely ludicrous – so that is why I read horror and fantasy, because at least the story lines don't want to make you puke. Besides, we all know that there is no such thing as a knight in shining armour, or a da-'

Before she could finish her sentence, her foot slipped, while her hands lost grip of the ladder and her lithe body hurtled towards the ground. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, as I flew over to her in a flash, catching her before her fragile body hit the floor. Shock was clear on her face, before she finally stared upwards at me. Her body fit snugly within my arms. I could not help but finish her sentence, for it made the situation far too ironic.

'...damsel in distress?'

* * *

My heart was hammering in my chest as he said that, a smirk clear upon his face. Oh God, why hadn't I been more careful? Due to my stupid ramblings, I was not stuck in a rather odd situation, within the arms of my captor and my face burning scarlet. His arms were strong, holding my body as if it were a mere object. Eyes looked directly into mine, never breaking the gaze. Finally, I had the courage to speak.

'Sorry. Thank you for catching me.' I said quickly, as he let me out of his firm grip. No word came out of him as he continued to stare, before I could not take the tension any more and sprinted out of the room, wanting to get anywhere away from him. Each stride I took seemed almost painful, as my body was freaking out with all sorts of feelings and emotions running around without a leash. My heart was pounding like a stampede of horses, my brain a blank canvas. What was this God doing to me – usually, I would have been sarcastic, maybe even aggressive against someone who was my captor, but every time I was with him made my body have a meltdown. The God of Death would be the end of me that much I was sure about.

**Oh dear, I think Persephone doesn't understand her feelings at all. Don't worry, there will be more action in the next chapter. Maybe even new characters to the plot... Stay tuned for the next chapter - please R&R! :)**


	9. A complex enigma

**I am SOOOO sorry that I haven't been updating for a while; my schedule has been ridiculously busy :( I hope you guys like this chapter!**

Zeus was sighing deeply, waiting for the thunderstorm known as Demeter to appear. From what he had heard, she had gone on a rampage for her daughter, scaring her nymphs witless, and she had even went down to the Underworld to interrogate Hades. Wait a moment, he thought, Persephone had disappeared obviously through a lure, and the God of the Underworld had asked for her hand in marriage, but I declined due to the wrath that Demeter would exert.

'_You will regret this moment, I'll promise you that.'_

Yes, Hades had said that to him, as a warning of some sort. Suddenly, his eyes nearly bulged out in shock and realization. _Hades _must have been the one that kidnapped her, taking the goddess against her will, due to his stupidity in denying the only request his brother had ever asked. Zeus muttered angrily to himself, annoyed that his stupidity would result in calamity – sure, Persephone was a pretty girl to be sure but her personality was rather the opposite, a tigress with a sharp tongue and wicked sarcastic humour. Goodness, his brother was going to meet a world of troubles with the Spring Goddess and there was nothing he could do but watch. To be honest, he was intrigued for the outcome – so, maybe he wouldn't tell Demeter for just a little while longer…

* * *

After an hour or so, I slipped slyly back into the library, in the case that Hades was still hovering around. I breathed in deeply, the smell of ancient paper and old wood engulfing my senses. Libraries were my sweet haven, although I had only ever been in the one in Olympus a few times, darting in quickly, discarding a book and picking another before my Mother noticed my disappearance. The one in the Underworld, for sure, was far more extravagant and beautiful, filled with an endless supply of books, varying in genres and ready to be discovered, as if they were new lands to be claimed by foreigners. I returned to the spot I had been before, picked up my books and moving the pile over to the sofa, discarding them upon the table side before slipping onto a long comfy chair to begin yet another wonderful book. After fifty pages, I was already hooked. I was so engulfed in the book, that I didn't realise Magnus coming in, barely containing his laughter at my concentrated face.

'I see that the books are to your satisfaction.' He stated, making me jump.

'Ever heard of knocking or saying hello?' I asked sarcastically, closing the book with an annoyed scowl.

'Too mainstream my dear,' he chuckled slightly, 'I have come over to tell you that dinner is ready.'

I paled slightly, terrified by the prospect of meeting the Dark Lord again; Magnus didn't miss my hints.

'It will only be half an hour at the least – please be nice to the master.'

'Fine...' I grumbled, agitated by the puppy god eyes that Magnus was giving me, and that I had to stop reading, even when I was finally reaching an interesting part of the book, with a lot of violence and action. For the last week or so, I had avoided eating with him by going to the kitchen and chatting with the staff, but I guess those times were now behind me. Following the ghost, I found myself within the largest room I had ever seen, with a pretty long table within the middle of the dining place. Magnus disappeared quickly without a goodbye (again), and I decided to have a look around the place. Upon the walls, hung many flamboyant paintings and frescos, with candles hanging like suspended snowdrops from the ceiling; I just hoped the wax didn't drip. One particular painting caught my eye for sure, illustrating a bloody scene of a great war between two huge armies, one made of centaurs and one made of wargs. To most, it would be seen as too violent and grotesque, but I found it to be bizarrely entrancing, the brush strokes so elegant across the canvas, with so much detail, even down to the badges they wore into battle.

'It is called the "endless flow of crimson youth", a battle from an age ago.' Explained a recognizably velvet voice from behind me. I jumped with fright, spinning round to see the pristine face of Hades.

'Do any of you people down hear know how to say hello, without trying to scare me witless? Sheesh, you nearly gave me a heart attack!' I snapped, to the amusement of the dark deity.

'That can be arranged.' He commented before turning. I rolled my eyes; of course, only he could come up with such a morbid joke and actually get away with it.

Taking out seats (which I made sure to be opposite ends of the table), our food taken in for us to eat. One look at it, and I already knew that my stomach was going to be sent to heaven tonight. Roast chicken in a marinated sauce, with an interesting salad with some vegetables which I didn't even know. It tasted divine upon my tongue, although I made sure to not express my delight to the asshole.

* * *

Scaring this little Goddess was getting far too easy, and amusing. Her expression of annoyance, with that sharp tongue of hers, was sure to get her into trouble. When the food had appeared, it took all self restrain not to smirk; she was evidently trying to not express her joy at the food, but it was failing rather badly. Really, she was just like a child, trying to hide all positive emotions to get at her adversary. I began eating my food, although my eyes kept drawing to those rosy lips, which would undeniably feel like heaven to kiss…

I shook his head slightly, pushing all lustful thoughts out of my head; I tried my hardest to remain my thoughts on the food, before I continued with my plan. When we had both finished, I placed my hands beneath my chin and my elbows upon the table.

'Did you enjoy the food Princess?'

She blushed violently at the nicknames, but merely huffed.

'It was okay I guess.' She answered curtly – her stubbornness was equal to a mule.

I nodded with a quaint smile, before standing up and walking towards her, much to her evident distress. Placing a hand out to her, I beckoned the Goddess to her feet. Rather reluctantly, she took my hand and stood up, her eyes constantly digesting my expressions to understand my motives. Her hand was so small compared to my paw of a hand, and I could easily crush it without a second thought.

'Would you like to see parts of the Underworld?' I asked. Surprisingly, all thoughts of trying to understand me flew away with the wind, replaced by an enthusiastic and quizzical expression.

'Can we? Really?!' she exclaimed, making me nearly step back; how can her personality jump from one mood to another so casually? Women these days…

I nodded my head, and we departed from the room. Slowly, I took her to the stables, where my chariot stood waiting with my hell horses standing proudly and with an air of finesse. Persephone automatically flinched at the sight of them, but stood her ground.

'Do we HAVE to ride horses?' she murmured, her fear for the odd creatures heightened considerably. I found this rather odd, for I would have guessed that she liked all animals within the realm of the living and dead.

'Yes; to show you the Underworld in a short amount of time, horses are needed.'

She groaned slightly; 'I am not going to ride a horse.'

My eyebrow quirked slightly, surprised by her sudden decline and defiance. Before she could argue, I swept her off her feet and took the annoyed Goddess upon the chariot, which shot off like a bolt of lightning. It was hard to drive, due to the aggravating girl that was screaming in my ear.

What was I going to do with her?

* * *

I don't know why that is, but ever since I fell of one during practices when I was young, I stayed clear away from them. Now, I was stuck in a chariot, with an arrogant death God, and being towed by a couple of deadly horses. I suddenly realised that there were no bumps beneath the road, so I shut my trap for once and peered over the side of the vehicle. My jaw nearly dropped.

There WAS no ground beneath them, only the small details of vast plains below. My legs felt feeble all of a sudden, so I turned my head back to the front. A huge cavern was coming towards us, a gaping hole that was sure to swallow us up.

Another thought entered my mind; I was still within the clutches of Hades, and I felt completely feeble and useless. When the horses suddenly swerved, I squeaked and grabbed his robe, his intoxicating cinnamon aroma attacking all my senses. Great, I thought bitterly, now I really WAS acting like a stupid princess.

I took a sneak peak at his face, admiring his porcelain chiselled face, his dark eyes like two whirlpools, fixated on the path in front. If he hadn't kidnapped me, maybe I wouldn't be so bitter to him? I knocked this thought out of my head in frustration, undeniably admitting to myself that I was bizarrely attracted to this asshole in more ways then one. He would always try to rile me up, but would never step out of line. He was arrogant and nearly emotionally inhibited, but parts of his positive personality did pop out once in a blue moon. Then there were his looks – fuck, there was no flaw there, no matter where you looked. And his voice…the embodiment of sin itself.

The chariot started to descend down as we headed towards the entrance of the cavern and the ride finally stopped, much to my relief.

* * *

Of course, I had noticed her giving a few glances at me while she clutched my front in fear of falling. If only she was always this quiet, he may be able to tolerate her attitude more often. We had arrived at the outer gates to Hell, but I was getting rather unsettled. My guardian of this realm was quite ferocious when he wanted to be, and I did not want Persephone to come to any harm. Yet, I still wanted to show her this world, because maybe, someday, it may be hers too.

She leaped off the chariot, straight out of my hands, and landed on the ground, cursing considerably in a non-lady like fashion. I stepped past her to check the door, and she quickly followed behind, not wanting to be left alone with the horses I presume. The cavern seemed quiet, but even the massive three headed dog was good at hiding. Stepping through the cavern, I heard a growl, but realised too soon that Persephone had gone a little to my right. Suddenly, the guardian sprang from the darkness upon them. I tried to restrain the dog, but was surprised by sudden giggling from behind me. To my disbelief, she was stroking the dog, clearly enjoying herself as my guardian acted like a house hold pet; he was never like this with anyone else besides myself. I sighed, overwhelmed by her glorious aura. Really, this Goddess was an addictive enigma of faults, quirks and charms, that he would never tire of.

**Wonder what Demeter is up to? Probably causing chaos XD I promise you, the next chapter will have a lovely little surprise that I hope you shall all enjoy. Thank you to all that have commented and continued to read, even when my updates are slow. Uploading soon, so please R&R my dears! :D **


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